A Farewell to Summer

If you're an American teacher, this weekend means the end.  Beginning Monday I'll be back at school for a few days of workshops, and on Thursday students arrive whether I'm ready or not.  It's 8:00 Saturday morning and I'm busy counting up the things I need to do this weekend.  There's a deck to finish staining, some things inside to help Lorri with, a toolshed door to rebuild (ack, two toolshed doors to rebuild.) There's also the matter of doing some schoolwork to get ready for those 137 students I'll see on Thursday.  Bummer.

Dean's British riflemen, higlanders and a smattering of guerrillas march toward waylaying a French column.

French cavalary and voltigeurs waiting to be waylaid.

I'd like to lament the passage of summer vacation, but actually it's been enjoyable.  Not quite as much gaming as I'd like, but I've enjoyed the ones I've played.  Yesterday was our fourth and final Truant's game, unless those who are retired or have Fridays off choose to continue.  I didn't actually get to play.  We changed internet/phone/television carriers this week after ten years with Comcast, and the resulting snafus kept me too busy to actually play Dean's awesome looking Sharpe Practice game.  It looked nice and I have a couple of pictures, but I had to go.

 This morning I finished painting the last of the Hallmark British for the first Jacobite Wars.  I'll work on mounting them up this week and get some pictures posted as soon as they are done.  I have 30 gunners and British cavalry to paint to wrap up the project (except for the baggage which will come later.)  Another check mark on my things to do list.

After the Jacobites are done, it's on to the Mississippi.  I've begun assembling the Perry Hussars to make my Texas Hussars.  Very nice figures and a lot less fiddly than the Victrix Brits.  I also ordered some more of the Spanish militia types I used in my Lewis and Clark adventure- the soldados de cuera mounted as well as dismounted-and some Spanish artillery and gunners. I'm looking forward to something new, just like the coming school year.